The Reno You Never Knew
by Litta
Summary: Back when Rufus was still a Turk, Reno wasn't such a bad guy. Unfortunately, Rufus planned to change all that, and hurts Reno in the worst way.


She was cleaning the counter when the door opened. She saw spotless shoes that reflected the lights of her store. She didn't have to look up to know who it was. Their presence was enough to distinguish them by. She looked up and smiled.

"How may I help you?" she asked.

"We need you to repair these suits," a man with red hair told her not unkindly. He held up two bags with suits inside. "And then clean them afterwards." His black-haired companion said nothing.

"When do you need these back by?" She took the suits from the man holding them. She noticed the suits in the bags matched the suits the men were wearing.

"Tomorrow," the red-head told her. She nodded and set the bags behind the counter.

"No problem. I'll have them ready by the time you come in." The black-haired man looked at her for the first time. His gaze was so serious and disconcerting she broke his gaze and looked back to the man with red hair. He only gave her a smile, a fake salute, and walked out with his companion.

She took the suits into the back of her store and placed them in the "Immediate Attention" section. After she closed the shop she started repairing them. She sewed up the ripped seams in the arms and legs, and carefully removed the stains on the shirts. Then she cleaned them in the machine and pressed them when they were dry. Only once they were finished did she go to bed. She knew if they weren't ready by the time she opened, the time she was sure the Turks would come back, she would be in trouble.

"I expect you have the suits ready?" the red-head asked. She had only opened the shop a few minutes before the Turks arrived. She had already hung the suits on the hanger next to her desk so as not to keep her customers waiting longer than they needed.

"Just as I said they would be." She handed him the suits and watched as he inspected them for any problems.

"Excellent work. I'll have to let my boss know about you."

"I would appreciate the recommendation." She smiled at him, the same smile she gave to every customer that complimented her.

"My name's Reno by the way."

"Cassidy."

She watched him walk out and hoped he would indeed tell his boss. She needed all the business she could get.

Reno continued bringing her business with Turk uniforms. He seemed to constantly need repairs and cleaning. She wondered if he had a knack for getting into fights. They sometimes had short conversations, whenever he lingered a few minutes more than necessary. The more he came, the longer he started staying.

Then one day Reno walked in with a special order: Rufus Shinra's suit. She new this order could make or break her business. She took special care of his suit, making sure every little detail was perfect before returning it to Reno the next morning.

"I promise he won't find one thing wrong with it," she boasted to Reno.

"You better hope not. He's not the kind of guy who forgets things, or forgives."

"Yes, I've heard that."

"You know, I was wondering . . ." He trailed off while he tried to find the words to say. "We've been able to get to know each other quite a bit the past few weeks. Would you like to go somewhere tonight with me? I know a great restaurant we could go to."

"Sure. We can go right after I close up shop."

"Great! I'll pick you up then."

True to his word, Reno picked her up promptly after she closed her store. He drove a motorcycle, which Cassidy had always wanted a ride on. Together they went to a classy restaurant where many of the Turks went for a nice meal after a long day at work. They talked throughout the entire meal, getting to know one another. While they enjoyed their time together, someone else was thinking about Reno as well.

Rufus sat in his office, wondering about Reno. He was a good Turk, but a little too soft. Rufus needed to think of some way to toughen him up, make him meaner. Unfortunately, Rufus had nothing to go on. Reno lived for his work, and did little else. He decided to continue thinking about the problem while he ate dinner. Reno had put his newly clean suit in his small closet. After close inspection, he found his suit to be in perfect order, as good as brand new. He smiled and decided to give this dry cleaner his business from now on.

_The dry cleaner,_ Rufus thought suddenly. He remembered noticing how much time Reno spent getting the clothes, and how that time had increased significantly over the past few weeks. Rufus also knew the dry cleaner was a woman. _Reno must like this woman._ Rufus continued this train of thought well into his meal. It was easier during dinner because only a few tables away Reno sat with the dry cleaner, obviously on a date. That's when Rufus had a devious thought. It was the perfect way to toughen Reno up.

Reno dropped Cassidy off at her house. Before he left he gave her a kiss and promised to visit her at work the next day. She smiled and watched him go. She had enjoyed her time with Reno immensely. He was funny and caring. She hoped they could go out again sometime.

The next morning, Reno showed up at Cassidy's store the minute it was due to open. Strangely, she didn't open the doors. He knocked on the door, and after waiting a few minutes went around back. She wasn't there. He checked his watch to make sure he had time, and then drove over to her house. Her door was kicked open. He rushed inside and found Cassidy lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. He checked her pulse, confirming his suspicions: she was dead.

When Reno showed up for work, everyone noticed his mood. Rufus was the first to say something, wanting to make sure his plan worked perfectly.

"What's wrong?" he asked bluntly.

"The lady who owned the dry cleaning place was killed last night, after I dropped her off."

"Yes, I heard about that." Reno looked up, surprised that Rufus knew what happened. "I knew you liked her and decided to do a background check. She had been involved with a rebellion for a short while, before leaving and opening that shop. Apparently her old friends thought she was a traitor for going out with you and killed her."

Reno was shocked. He never imagined people could be like that. He went back to his desk and saw he had an assignment. Someone causing trouble in the city needed to be silenced. He crumpled up the piece of paper, planning on putting the person through the same pain he was going through right then.

Rufus watched Reno's actions after hearing the lies about Cassidy. His plan worked perfectly, and he knew it. After that, Reno became a hard, sarcastic jerk, exactly what Rufus wanted.


End file.
